Principal Investigator Research Articles

Women are awarded more team than solo grants and lead more gender-balanced teams than men

Abstract We modelled patterns of collaboration, team gender composition, and funding amounts across awarded Australian government-funded competitive team research grants from 2000 to 2020. The percentage of grants awarded to women at mid- and senior-career levels was higher for team grants than sole investigator grants compared to men at those levels. Teams led by women tended to have a greater percentage of women coinvestigators than teams led by men, but this was below gender parity regardless of team leader gender. Funding amounts per grant did not differ by the principal investigator’s gender and reached parity in 2020 across teams with both high and low representation of women. Since teams tend to be more gender-balanced when led by women, women’s grant leadership may be an important mechanism for shifting overall representation of women in research. We offer public policy measures to address gender inequities in the research sector.

Effect of an oral stimulation protocol on breastfeeding among preterm infants: a randomised controlled trial

ObjectivesThe objectives are to assess the effectiveness of a modified and adapted oral sensorimotor intervention (MA-OSMI) protocol for infants in India on the rate and performance of breastfeeding among preterm...

Gas Sensing Properties of Graphene/MoS₂/Graphene Lateral Heterostructure: A First Principles Investigation

Gas Sensing Properties of Graphene/MoS₂/Graphene Lateral Heterostructure: A First Principles Investigation

Efficacy of fosaprepitant for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing gynecologic surgery: a multicenter, randomized, double-blind study

Abstract Purpose This study aims to investigate whether adding fosaprepitant to palonosetron and dexamethasone is effective in preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in high-risk patients undergoing gynecologic surgery. Methods Eligible patients undergoing gynecological surgery were randomized into two groups (1:1). One group received fosaprepitant (150 mg) and the other (control) received a placebo infusion. Both groups received a single dose of palonosetron (0.25 mg) and dexamethasone (5 mg) together with therapeutic medication. The primary endpoint was the absence of vomiting and no use of rescue antiemetics during the first 24 h after surgery; complete response rate (CRR). Results CRR was significantly higher in the fosaprepitant group compared to the control group 0–24 h after surgery (P = 0.037; relative risk [RR], 1.116; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.007 to 1.235). Moreover, CRR was also significantly higher during the 24–48 h (P = 0.004; RR, 1.148; 95% CI, 1.045 to 1.261) and 48–72 h (P = 0.039; RR, 1.083; 95% CI, 1.005 to 1.168) observation periods respectively. The complete control rate was higher in the fosaprepitant group than in the control group during the 0–24 h observation period (P = 0.012; RR, 1.367; 95% CI, 1.067 to 1.751). Nausea and rescue antiemetic use were comparable between the two groups. The severity of vomiting was significantly higher in the fosaprepitant group than in the control group on the second day (P = 0.016). Dynamic pain visual analog scale score was lower in the fosaprepitant group and quality of recovery-15 scores were significantly higher in the same group during 0–24 h observation period (P = 0.018 and 0.005, respectively). Conclusions The triple combination of fosaprepitant, palonosetron, and dexamethasone was superior in the prevention of PONV after gynecologic surgery in high-risk patients. We suggest that for high-risk patients, a triple combination therapy may be a better choice. Trial registration Registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=171741) with No. ChiCTR2200060890 on June 13, 2022. Principal investigator: Jingdun Xie.

Leveraging the ARIS BI Toolkit to Equip Faculty for Career—and CAREER—Success

Research development professionals at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) used the Center for Advancing Research Impact in Society (ARIS) Broader Impacts (BI) Toolkit with early-career faculty preparing grant proposals for the National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER). This prestigious career-development funding mechanism places unique emphasis on the integration of research and education, positioning awardees to enhance the impact of their research programs through education initiatives like curriculum development, outreach, and community engagement. However, many early-career faculty lack experience or training to develop robust education plans that are thoughtfully aligned with and responsive to their research. With the aim of developing practical ways to help faculty gain these skills, the study team used mixed methods to analyze the integration of research and education in CAREER proposals submitted by UNL faculty. These methods included using the ARIS BI Rubric to evaluate the proposals, convening two panel review discussions, and interviewing principal investigators about their ARIS BI Toolkit use and approach to research-education integration. Case study findings reveal that while effective and impactful integration can take many forms, early-career faculty and those who support them can utilize the ARIS BI Toolkit strategically to strengthen this aspect of grant proposals, positioning faculty to write well-integrated CAREER proposals and potentially contributing to long-term grant-writing and research program success.

Cultivating the next generation of leaders : How postdocs, principal investigators and institutes can nurture and select for leadership competencies.

Cultivating the next generation of leaders : How postdocs, principal investigators and institutes can nurture and select for leadership competencies.

First principles investigations on structural, electronic, optical, and thermodynamical properties of bulk and surfaces of In2CO

This study reports first-principles investigations of the structural, electronic, thermal, and optical properties of a novel material In2CO in bulk phase and slab models in (001), (100), (101), and (011) orientations to develop a fundamental understanding of its characteristics. The material appeared structurally as well as dynamically stable in the orthorhombic phase. The thermal properties demonstrated that the material's heat capacity is more temperature-sensitive than entropy and enthalpy. The electronic band structure analysis revealed that the orthorhombic phase material is a semiconductor with a narrow indirect band gap. The electronic structures modeled using the spin-orbit coupling yielded the metallic phase of the slabs except for (001) orientation. The electromagnetic absorption characteristics of the compound are also investigated to explore the material's potential in optoelectronic applications. The direction-dependent study of optical characteristics revealed that the (001) slab of the material can be an efficient infrared detector. The survey findings provide instrumental outcomes in utilizing In2CO in electronic and optoelectronic applications.

Challenges in institutional ethical review process and approval for international multicenter clinical studies in lower and middle-income countries: the case of PARITY study

BackgroundOne of the greatest challenges to conducting multicenter research studies in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) is the heterogeneity in regulatory processes across sites. Previous studies have reported variations in requirements with a lack of standardization in the Institutional Review Board (IRB) processes between centers, imposing barriers for approval, participation, and development of multicenter research.ObjectivesTo describe the regulatory process, variability and challenges faced by pediatric researchers in LMICs during the IRB process of an international multicenter observational point prevalence study (Global PARITY).DesignA 16-question multiple-choice online survey was sent to site principal investigators (PIs) at PARITY study participating centers to explore characteristics of the IRB process, costs, and barriers to research approval. A shorter survey was employed for sites that expressed interest in participating in Global PARITY and started the approval process, but ultimately did not participate in data collection (non-participating sites) to assess IRB characteristics.ResultsOf the 91 sites that sought IRB approval, 46 were successful in obtaining approval and finishing the data collection process. The survey was completed by 46 (100%) participating centers and 21 (47%) non-participating centers. There was a significant difference between participating and non-participating sites in IRB approval of a waiver consent and in the requirement for a legal review of the protocol. The greatest challenge to research identified by non-participating sites was a lack of research time and the lack of institutional support.ConclusionsGlobal collaborative research is crucial to increase our understanding of pediatric critical care conditions in hospitals of all resource-levels and IRBs are required to ensure that this research complies with ethical standards. Critical barriers restrict research activities in some resource limiting countries. Increasing the efficiency and accessibility of local IRB review could greatly impact participation of resource limited sites and enrollment of vulnerable populations.

Bacterial contamination of autologous blood salvaged during deceased donor liver transplantation: a prospective observational study.

Decompensated cirrhotic patients experience severely increased intestinal permeability and bacterial translocation. Thus, autologous blood salvaged during deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT) may be contaminated with enteric bacteria. We aimed to evaluate bacterial contamination of autologous blood salvaged during DDLT and its association with post-transplant bacteremia. In 30 patients undergoing DDLT, bacterial culture was performed in salvaged autologous blood samples: one before graft reperfusion (non-leukoreduced) and two after graft reperfusion (non-leukoreduced and leukoreduced). The primary outcome was bacterial contamination of salvaged autologous blood. Seven of 30 patients (23.3%) were positive for bacteria (3 enteric/4 non-enteric) before graft reperfusion while 11 patients (36.7%) were positive (5 enteric/6 non-enteric) after graft reperfusion. Six of 7 patients who were positive for bacteria before graft reperfusion were positive after graft reperfusion with the same bacteria. Only 4 of 11 contaminated blood samples were converted to negative after leukoreduction. Post-transplant bacteremia risk was insignificantly greater in patients who received autologous blood with bacteria than in patients without bacteria (30.0% vs. 5.0%, P = 0.06). We found contamination of salvaged autologous blood with enteric bacteria throughout DDLT and incomplete performance of leukoreduction, indicating high bacterial load. The potential association between contaminated autotransfusion and post-transplant bacteremia warrants further validation in a larger prospective study.Clinical trial notation: This study was registered at the Clinical Research Information Service (CRiS; https://cris.nih.go.kr ; No. KCT0007223; principal registration investigator: Sangbin Han, date of registration: April 25, 2022).

First principles investigation of structural, electronic, optical, transport properties of double perovskites X2TaTbO6 (X= Ca, Sr, Ba) for optoelectronic and energy harvesting applications

Structural, electrical, optical, thermoelectric response of X2TaTbO6 (X = Ca, Sr, Ba) double perovskites oxides are studied by using WIEN2k that is based on quantum mechanical calculations employing PBE-GGA approximation under the framework of DFT. We present electronic attributes including band gaps and density of states, and explain the electronic properties of all three oxide double perovskite materials which proved that they belong to directly forbidden band gap materials family. The cubic compounds Ba2TaTbO6, Sr2TaTbO6, and Ca2TaTbO6 have respective direct band gaps of 2.35 eV, 2.15eV, and 2.25 eV. Optical conductivity σ(ω), reflection R(ω), complex dielectric constants, refractive index ƞ(ω), absorbance α(ω), loss parameter L(ω) and extinction coefficient K(ω) are all utilized to explore light dependent characteristics of studied compounds. Thermoelectric parameter like, Number of Seebeck effect (S), charge carrier (n), magnetic susceptibility, power factor (PF), electrical conductivity (σ/t), thermal conductivity K/t, and heat capacity are key characteristics for materials to study its ability of thermal behavior. These thermoelectric parameters were determined by using BoltzTraP code. By studying the numbers on various material properties, scientists are uncovering new possibilities for creating sustainable materials for sustainable gadgets.

Mathematics, Administrative and Economic Activities in Ancient Worlds edited by Cécile Michel and Karine Chemla

Reviewed by: Carlos Gonçalves Recently, we have been fortunate to see the start of a new research project, Mathematical Sciences in the Ancient World (the SAW Project), and the publication of a new book series, Why the Sciences of the Ancient World Matter. The SAW Project was funded by an advanced research grant from the European Research Council from 2011 to 2016, which had Karine Chemla as the principal investigator, together with Christine Proust and Agathe Keller, all researchers in the history of ancient mathematics of, respectively, China, Mesopotamia, and South Asia. The book series started in 2018 and it has been one of the most important vehicles to make public the extraordinary amount of material produced by the research project. How to cite: Gonçalves, C. rev. "Mathematics, Administrative and Economic Activities in Ancient Worlds" edited by Cécile Michel and Karine Chemla. Aestimatio: Sources and Studies in the History of Science (2023) 4: rev02 1–40. https://doi/10.33137/aestimatio.v4.43350.

Relevant Ongoing Clinical Trials to Investigate Local-Regional Treatment Strategies for Peritoneal Surface Malignancies.

The multimodal therapy of peritoneal metastases of common cancers (i.e. colorectal, gastric, and ovarian), including CRS plus HIPEC, is still subject to several clinical studies. This paper presents the ongoing studies regarding HIPEC, as found on clinicaltrials.gov. The emphasis was set on Phase III recruiting trials, including the newest information from principal investigators who answered the call of the authors. Ninety trials have been identified, and the protocols of 15 studies have been presented in detail. There are interesting ongoing trials investigating the role of CRS plus HIPEC.

The Scholarly Upside to MOC4

BackgroundMany medical boards require quality improvement (QI) projects for Maintenance of Certification-Part IV (MOC4) credits. The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) allows healthcare organizations that can demonstrate sufficient QI standards to become Portfolio Sponsor Programs. This enables internal review and approval of QI projects, crediting all sufficiently contributing physicians. The University of Minnesota's MHealth MOC4 Review Board (MMRB) was approved as an ABMS Portfolio Sponsor Program; its impact was surveyed from inception in 2016 to 2022. Our objective was to examine the impact of a Portfolio Sponsor Program on scholarship, sustainability, and spread of QI projects. MethodsWe developed and validated an eight-question survey directed at MOC4 principal investigators (PIs) who were awarded credits through MMRB from 2016 to 2022. Participants reported on numbers of peer-reviewed publication or presentation, and their perception of increased preparedness for scholarship due to the application process. They also reported on sustainment or spread following their original QI project. ConclusionsFifty projects were reviewed over a seven-year span. Of these, 44 were approved as demonstrating sufficient QI rigor per ABMS standards. Of 41 PIs, 27 (66%) responded to the survey; 15 (56%) agreed that the MMRB process helped prepare them for scholarly dissemination, 19 (70%) delivered oral or poster presentations, and 10 (37%) submitted a total of 14 manuscripts for publication, 10 of which were accepted. A total of 23 QI projects (85%) were sustained, and 10 (37%) had spread. Besides generating essential MOC4 credits for participating physicians, an MMRB process can help PIs prepare for scholarship, project sustainment, and spread.

The people behind the papers - Saya Furukawa, Akira Satoh and Yoshihiro Morishita.

A remarkable feature of limb regeneration is the ability to regenerate normal limb morphology and anatomical patterning. Although it is thought that regeneration uses similar mechanisms to those employed during development, it is not well understood how this is achieved in the context of varying blastema size. In a new study, Akira Satoh, Yoshihiro Morishita and colleagues investigate the allometric scaling of blastema size and pattern expressions of key genes relative to the size of the limb stump in axolotls. To find out more about the work, we caught up with first author Saya Furukawa, and corresponding authors Akira Satoh, professor at Okayama University, and Yoshihiro Morishita, Principal Investigator at RIKEN, Japan.

Adapting to change: experiences and recommendations from the Pain Management Collaboratory on modifying statistical analysis plans.

Best practices for clinical trials stipulate that statistical analysis plans (SAPs) need to be finalized before initiation of any analysis. However, there is limited guidance about when changes to SAPs are acceptable and how these changes should be incorporated into the research plan with appropriate documentation. We conducted a survey of 12 pragmatic clinical trials (PCTs) in the Pain Management Collaboratory that evaluated nonpharmacological interventions for pain to assess the following SAP information: (1) location of statistical analysis details, (2) types of statistical analyses planned, (3) sponsor requirements, (4) templates used for development, (5) publication plan, (6) changes since trial launch, (7) process of documenting changes, and (8) process of updating the trial registry. All 12 PCTs provided details of their SAPs for the primary outcomes in the institutional review board-approved trial protocol; 8 included plans for secondary outcomes, and 6 included plans for tertiary/exploratory outcomes. Most PCTs made SAP changes after trial initiation, many as a result of COVID-19-related issues. Eleven of the PCTs were actively recruiting participants. Changes were made to sample size, study design, study arms, and analytical methods, all before the data lock/unblinding. In all cases, justification for the changes was documented in the trial protocol or SAP, signed off by the trial biostatistician and principal investigator, and reviewed/approved by an institutional review board, data and safety monitoring board, or sponsor. We recommend that SAP changes can be acceptable up to the time of data lock/unblinding. To maintain full transparency and necessary rigor, clear documentation of such changes should include details, rationale, date(s) such changes were implemented, and evidence of approval by relevant oversight bodies.

Unveiling the YouTube addiction: Understanding the spectrum of digital dependency

ABSTRACT Background: Excessive use of YouTube is increasingly being as a source of technological addiction in both adolescent and adult population worldwide. Objective: The aim of this study is to assess YouTube addiction among adolescents and adults and the ways to reduce its usage. Methods: After obtaining Institutional ethical clearance and informed consent, we collected data from adolescent and adult male and female using a 22-item YouTube addiction scale (YAS) questionnaire. Face-to-face interview was conducted by the principal investigator. The principal component analysis (PCA) of the YAS questionnaire was performed. Manual content analysis was conducted for the qualitative data. Results: We enrolled 54 (50.9%) male and 52 (49.1%) female participants. The majority of them use YouTube and Instagram. Severely addicted were 38.7%, who spent all seven days watching YouTube videos. A principal component analysis revealed a four-component YAS structure based on an eigenvalue cutoff (>1), Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy was more than 0.5, and Bartlett’s test of sphericity was <0.001. We grouped 22 items into four dimensions: Impaired control, decrease alternate pleasure, intense desire, and measures taken to reduce usage. Conclusion: Behaviour modification needed to promote healthier YouTube usage habits.

Prevalence of substance use among adolescents residing in urban slums of Vellore: A cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT Background: Adolescent substance abuse is a growing public health concern. Adolescence is the starting point for adult substance misuse. The likelihood of acquiring dependence in adulthood is significantly decreased when substance use is not initiated during adolescence. The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of substance use among teenagers, as well as to determine the age of initiation and identify the factors that are linked to substance use. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in an urban community in Vellore by a tertiary care teaching hospital. A structured questionnaire was administered by the principal investigator to all adolescent boys aged between 10 and 19 years residing in that area for the past year who gave informed consent/assent to assess the prevalence of substance use among teenagers. Results: The total number of adolescent boys enrolled in the study was 266. The mean (standard deviation [SD]) age of the participants was 16.14 (2.2) years, with a median age of 16 years. Out of the 266 adolescent boys, 33.8% are currently using substances and 15% were past users. The common substance used was smoking tobacco (30%), followed by alcohol consumption (29%). The minimum age of initiation of smoking tobacco and ganja use was 9 and 7 years, respectively. Significant predictors of substance usage included the participant’s educational background and the substance use of their parents. Conclusion: According to this community-based study’s findings, smoking tobacco was the most frequently used substance by teenagers, with a higher prevalence of current substance use. Substance misuse in the family was substantially associated with increased drug usage among teenagers. Notwithstanding having an adequate comprehension of the negative results of substance utilisation, teenagers develop this habit, which they might carry into adulthood. It is therefore necessary to establish comprehensive prevention and control programs in schools and the community that target teenagers and their parents.

First Principles Investigation of thermoelectric properties of naphyne

Designing a thermoelectric device to efficiently convert waste heat into electricity involves simultaneous adjustment of its electrical and thermal conductance. Herein, we have investigated the thermoelectric property of a two-dimensional naphyne sheet under various bias voltages and temperatures. Naphyne possesses a superior Seebeck coefficient under zero bias voltage at room temperature in comparison to other conventional thermoelectric materials, affirming its potential as a promising candidate for thermoelectric devices. Increase in temperature, tend to decrease various thermoelectric properties like Seebeck coefficient, conductance and figure of merit. However, an exception is found for the electronic part of thermal conductance which rises with the rise in temperature for naphyne. Interestingly, at a bias voltage of 0.2V, the highest value of electronic part of thermoelectric figure of merit ZTe=30.11 is found at 200K, while at 0.6V the highest value of ZTe=4.21 is observed at a temperature of 300K, indicating that naphyne could play a beneficial role in the design of thermoelectric materials.

Efficacy and safety of ciprofol for general anesthesia induction in female patients with frailty: a prospective randomized controlled trial

BackgroundCiprofol, a recently developed anesthetic agent, is not inferior to propofol in terms of efficacy and safety. However, most previous clinical experience with ciprofol was based on a robust population. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of ciprofol for anesthesia induction in female patients with frailty.MethodsThis prospective randomized controlled trial included patients with frailty undergoing elective general anesthesia for gynecological surgery. Frailty was assessed using the modified frailty index. The patients were randomly administered propofol (2 mg/kg) or ciprofol (0.5 mg/kg) during anesthesia induction. The depth of anaesthesia was continually monitored by the bispectral index. The primary outcome was the lowest systolic blood pressure (SBP) during anesthesia induction. Secondary outcomes included the incidence of general anesthesia induction failure and adverse events.ResultsAmong the 69 enrolled patients with frailty, 67 were included in the final analysis. The success rate of anesthesia induction was 100% in both groups. The lowest SBP was significantly higher in the ciprofol group than in the propofol group (103 [96–110] vs. 90 [85–98] mmHg, respectively; P < 0.001), suggesting that the former caused less inhibition of hemodynamics during anesthesia induction in patients with frailty. The incidence of injection pain was lower in the ciprofol group than in the propofol group (3 [8.8%] vs. 11 patients [33.3%], respectively; P = 0.014).ConclusionsThe results of this study suggest that the efficacy of ciprofol for inducing general anesthesia in patients with frailty is comparable to that of propofol, with more stable hemodynamics.Trial registrationThe trial was registered, before patient enrollment, in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (www.chictr.org.cn) (Clinical trial number: ChiCTR2300075271; https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=205160, principal investigator’s name: Zifeng Xu, date of registration: 31/08/2023).

Decolonizing Academic Funding: An Evaluation of an Indigenous Collaborative Funding Initiative

In 2020 an innovative Indigenous community-led internal funding initiative was undertaken at a major university in Canada, followed in 2022 by a qualitative study of its inaugural round. This funding initiative is unique in that each research project was first identified by an Indigenous community/organization through a Canada-wide outreach process. The outreach process involved reaching out to over 700 Indigenous communities and organizations, via email or telephone, to ask if they would be interested in participating in a funded research project they identified as important and beneficial. The role of the university academic research partners was that of mentor rather than principal investigator for each project. Nine community-led research projects were funded and are currently underway. In this paper the authors outline the process of developing the initiative, its components, and findings from the study. Successes and challenges of the funding model are identified followed by a discussion of emergent themes. One of the key themes that emerged is that although there are aspects of this initiative that met its intended goals, it highlights a barrier in meeting one of the objectives, contributing to Indigenous research governance and self-determination.